


Responsiblity

by CatMoran (akaCat)



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Bad Fic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-01-07
Updated: 2006-01-07
Packaged: 2017-10-10 06:39:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/96725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/akaCat/pseuds/CatMoran
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rodney feels betrayed when the teenage daughter John never knew about shows up on Atlantis. But when his illegitimate son appears, the tables are turned!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Responsiblity

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the free-for-all portion of svmadelyn's [Badfic Summary Mini-Ficathon](http://www.livejournal.com/users/svmadelyn/321001.html).
> 
> smittywing's summary: Rodney feels betrayed when the teenage daughter John never knew about shows up on Atlantis. But when his illegitimate son appears, the tables are turned!

The Daedelus had arrived that morning with a fresh load of mail, supplies and personnel. Rodney had quickly collected his personal portion of the booty, a two months out of date copy of the International Journal of Quantum Physics and his mail-ordered supply of premium coffee and dark chocolate (70% cocoa.) He was now sprawled in his favorite chair in their quarters, trying to consume all three before he was ordered to take charge of his new, likely dangerously incompetent, scientists.

Or he had been, before John made that worrying noise. The strangled choke wasn't entirely unusual, but Rodney was used to hearing it in slightly different circumstances. Like, when they were both horizontal. Or at least, not sitting on opposite sides of the room. And the hot little whimper-moan that always accompanied it was missing.

Rodney looked up. "John?"

John made a vague hand-wavy gesture with one hand, still looking down at the thick sheaf of papers clutched in the hand. Unfortunately, outside of missions and military exercises, John's hand-wavy gestures weren't nearly as articulate as one might hope for. For instance, Rodney couldn't tell if this particular gesture meant "leave me alone while I process this", "help, I'm choking" or "yes, dear."  Or possibly "aircraft three is cleared for takeoff."

"John, nod once for 'I'm choking' and twice for 'I'm just responding so you'll leave me alone.'"

John shook his head in a slightly shocked, distracted manner, holding out the papers. That was all the invitation Rodney needed; he walked over and took them.

He skimmed through them quickly, went back through to read a few of the highlights in more detail, then jammed them back into John's hands. "You...!" John looked up at Rodney, his face more blank than afraid.

Rodney stomped to the other side of the room, pacing back and forth and muttering to himself. Finally he turned to face John. "Just tell me, how many more of them are there?"

John's puzzlement was clear in his face. "How many more what?"

"Offspring! Children! Fruit of your loins!"

John giggled, a little hysterically, at the last phrase.

Rodney continued, "Just how many ports did you leave women and... and... families! in?" He stomped back over to John, poking a finger into the other man's chest. "How many more-" he broke off to grab the papers back, reading from them quickly, "*Allison*s are out there?" He said the name as if it was a word questioning a person's parentage.

"Rodney." John spoke quietly, but grabbed Rodney's wrist before he could step away. "Allison's mother and I were married."

Rodney's mouth dropped open. "You were... but I thought you... You're gay!"

"Well, yeah." John shrugged. "I'm sure you're heard of repression? It's very popular in some circles. Like the American military."

Rodney tentatively pulled his arm free and dropped to the bed. "When? How long? *Why*?"

"Fifteen years ago, about the time I was finishing up my MS. Laura and I lasted less than a year, we split up before Allison was born. What with my being stationed everywhere I barely even met my daughter. And--it sounds lousy, but it's good cover."

Rodney waved sadly at the papers. "I guess you'll be leaving Atlantis, now. Soon, if Laura's condition is as urgent as it sounds."

John sighed. "I don't want to, *please* believe that. But. Laura's right, there's no way she can give her parents custody. And neither of us has any other family. Anyway, Allison's got to be in high school by now, I can come back once she's settled at college." He tried to smile, but it didn't reach his eyes.

Rodney shook his head. "Nope. Once you take this responsibility, you can't come back." John's face paled. "Not every kid is as anxious to get away from their parents as we were. And it's one thing for your kid to be in another country -- it's a little difficult to get to another *galaxy* if there's an emergency. There's nothing else for it, I'll just have to go back with you."

"You'd do that for me?" John looked almost as stunned as he had a few minutes before.

"You're a little rarer than a wormhole, it only makes sense for me to stick with the more valuable commodity."

"You know that this will entail regular contact with someone under the age of 30? Who doesn't hold any advanced degrees?" John looked worried, but a grin was beginning to break out across his face.

"Yes, well, both of those conditions are curable. And I'm sure she's at least as intelligent as you are. This Laura person was intelligent, right?" Rodney scowled at John.

John shrugged. "She graduated cum laude with an MS in physics at UCLA."

"Well, I guess that's something." Rodney stood, grabbed John's hand and started tugging. "C'mon, we need to talk to Elizabeth if we're going to leave with the Daedelus."

John stood. "Rodney, the Daedelus doesn't leave for three days."

"And do you know how long it's going to take me to turn my science department over to Radek? Three days isn't nearly long enough!"

* * *

Rodney should have been immediately suspicious when Elizabeth implied she'd been expecting them. He should have sent an email to Radek, dragged John aboard the Daedelus, and gotten an early start on an eighteen-day pseudo-honeymoon trip back to Earth.

Elizabeth was wearing her diplomatic smile. "Gentlemen. I assume you've seen the new personnel roster?"

"Hmm? No. Elizabeth, we have something important to tell you." He forced himself to pause, to give John a chance to tell Elizabeth about his daughter.

John frowned. "What about the personnel roster? Is there a problem?"

Rodney squawked, "We don't have time for this!"

Elizabeth glanced at Rodney as she answered John. "Well, I don't know if it's a problem, per se. Rodney, do you remember approving the application of an applicant identified only as RMM?"

"No, what-"

"Twenty-one, doctoral candidate in particle physics at Stanford? Had some theories on wormhole physics in normal space that you claimed were 'fascinating, although stupid'.?" Elizabeth prompted.

"Oh. Yes, actually I believe the phrase I used the word 'interesting'. What about it? Him? Her? We're on sort of a deadline here-"

Elizabeth turned her tablet screen to face them.

"Rodney McKay Miller." John read the name out loud and turned his head to stare at Rodney.

"But, in ...1985? Why would-? Nobody knew who I was back then. Why-?" Rodney felt like his brain was trying to move through molasses.

"Is there something you'd like to tell me, Rodney?" John looked distinctly unhappy. "Maybe about a woman at every college campus?"

"But, I was seventeen! This has to be a coincidence. Elizabeth-?" Rodney looked at Elizabeth, waiting for her to tell him that this was all a coincidence. Or a joke. A joke that would require serious payback.

Elizabeth looked at him pityingly. "It's not a coincidence. The SGC ran tests to verify Mr. Miller's claim. That's why there was no personal information in the application." Silence filled the room. "I'm sorry, I should have spoken to you privately. I just assumed..."

Rodney turned to look pleadingly at John. "John?"

John sat stiffly for a moment before standing. "Elizabeth, I'll be by later to speak with you." He bent to speak quietly in Rodney's ear, "it looks like you have a new responsibility here."

Rodney watched, stricken, as John walked out the door. He only had three days to fix this, and had no idea where to start.

The End.  
Really.  
Sequels are welcome, please let me know if you write one.


End file.
